Project Seat Leon Cupra 2.0 TFSI

Why the Seat Leon Cupra ?

The engine in the Seat Leon Cupra is one which is very "tuneable" and is almost exactly the same as the one fitted in the 8P Audi S3. Picking the Cupra for the next More-BHP project was easy... The FSI technology has pushed the engine way beyond the previous 1.8T engine found in the old Seat Leon Cupra R. Before starting the project we knew the engine was capable of producing supercar power as we found out with project VW Golf GTI Edition 30.

The car is owned by Mike, one of the technicians at More-BHP who is used to driving a VW Caddy 1.9 TDI van. The van was surplus to requirements so he started looking for a car that could be tuned to deliver outstanding power claims without a great deal of time or investent - the Seat Leon Cupra was perfect.

The starting point was 240BHP...

For those that don't know, there are two versions of the 2.0 TFSI engine. The first version is 200BHP which can be found in the regular VW Golf GTI, Audi A3, Seat Leon and the Skoda Octavia vRS, however, there is a different variation which has a bigger turbo, bigger injectors a relocated DV, bigger intercooler and slightly re-worked charge pipes of which is found in the likes of an Audi S3 (265BHP), VW Golf GTI Edition 30 (230BHP) and the Seat Leon Cupra (240BHP) which we have here. All of these extra parts mean the engine has a lot more to give and the power differences are mainly down to the S3 having the Quattro 4WD system.

First impressions of the Cupra were great, driving home for the first time in the car was so much fun (well it would be compared to a van) apart from the noticeable drop in the fuel needle everytime you plant your right foot. The car was driven back to the workshop for the stage 1 remapping session.

Stage 1 remapping...

Having remapped many of these cars in the past we knew what to expect... A very noticeable increase in power, torque and throttle response but it is still amazing to experience the transformation again for yourself. The stage 1 remapping software takes the standard Cupra to a whole different level with a much more respectable 310BHP and 375NM with the power delivered in a supremely smooth way. The most notable thing about the stage 1 remap was the elimination of the turbo lag... in any gear you can now put your foot down and the car will pick up without hesitation.

It was now time to see how the Cupra faired against our Project BMW 330D! With 310BHP and over 680NM of torque, the BMW 330D is no easy monster to beat. The diesel power can just rip up the road whenever the mood takes you and the power just doesnt stop. On a private road the BMW just sneaks by leaving the Cupra in its wake. So what else can we do...

Stage 2 and other mods...

Stage 2 remapping just adds more... Boost peaks at a safe level of just 1.5 Bar and sails to 1.1 Bar. Again the difference is profound. Obviously stage 2 programming for the Cupra can only be done with an upgraded exhaust so while we were waiting for it to arrive we removed the CATs and programmed the Stage 2 software!

The Cupra is now running at 340BHP and 410NM and leaves the BMW 330D on a run... At no point can the BMW make ground once the Cupra is into its stride.

We also added some special features into the programming for this vehicle just to show what we can do:

-Left foot braking enabled (VAG ECU's cut the throttle if the brake is applied at the same time) - ideal for race cars

-Decat light deactivation (disabling of the post CAT lambda sensor)

-Speed limit removal (removing the 155MPH speed limit)

Whats next?

Keep your eyes peeled for an update on project Cupra as we intend it to be running close to 400BHP before the end of this year.